Tegra K1

A new billiards Android game is hardly any reason to get all excited – Android pool apps are typically dime-a-dozen. But Pure Pool, originally released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, now makes its arrival at the Google Play Store – but unfortunately not just for any Android device. Your device has to have what is arguably the best processor and GPU combo known to man at this point – an NVIDIA Tegra K1 chip.

The news that NVIDIA will be coming up with an upgraded version of its highly successful and acclaimed SHIELD Tablet comes as no surprise, especially as we were treated last week to an unveiling of the octa-core monster that is the Tegra X1 at the CES 2015 in Las Vegas. The new SHIELD Tablet in the works is likely to feature the Tegra X1 as its processor.

You’ve seen it before, and you’re likely to see it again – whatever the big manufacturers can do, China can do as well. Snail Games, an online gaming outfit based in China is planning to take on Sony and Microsoft by putting out an Android gamingconsole called Obox Online, scheduled to be launched at CES 2015 in Las Vegas just a few weeks from now.

A little December update from our modular phone developing friends at Project ARA – which basically says that the Spiral 2 prototype, scheduled to be shown at the Project Ara Developers Conference in January, is moving along really well. We really hope 2015 will be a big year for modular phones.

If you’re a consumer, it may be hard to figure out what to do with Google’s Project Tango – which is really a high-powered tablet manufactured by LG with very special cameras and sensors that will be able to scan, map, and render real-world environments to 3D images. The tablet is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra K1 chip and costs USD$1,024. But the device is specifically targeted for developers -- to whom Google has started shipping the device -- so you wouldn't have to answer that question yet.

Ever wanted a super powerful tablet with powerful cameras and an understanding of the world as we see it and not as flat 2D images? If so, then Google's Project Tango might just be for you and, coincidentally, the tablet has just shown up on Google Play Store. That said, the device isn't actually available for purchase just yet, and neither is Google letting on how much it will cost. But given the features and purpose of the tablet, we expect it to cost quite a lot.

From Google I/O 2014, we were treated to a preview of Android next OS releases, now known popularly as Android L. Android head honcho Sundar Pichai also made it clear that Android 5.0 (or is it Android Lollipop?) will be optimized for 64-bit apps, but as launch date nears (we hope) – there have been few updates regarding Android L 64-bit capability. Thankfully, we have one right now – as Android Dev has announced the availability of an Android L 64-bit emulator for Intel x86 architecture.

If you are in the mood for new games that have robots as the main focus, we have two for you that our sister site SlashGear has reviewed recently that are available for Android devices. The first of the games is Z: Steel Soldiers and it follows a troop of robotic soldiers that are fighting to win. The game promises a new breed of robots with a taste for war and you can customize your own robotic soldiers.

With the relatively good feedback coming from the performance of the Tegra K1 chip, NVIDIA is not resting on its laurels and is moving forward with what looks to be the company’s bet for the near-future’s Android chip – the dual-core 64-bit version of the NVIDIA Tegra K1, codename “Denver”.

The Acer Chromebook 13 is probably the first Chromebook out there sporting NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 chip, and it looks like it’s not too shabby at all. Both NVIDIA and Acer are harping on such qualities multi-tasking performance and the device’s mobile form factor. But at the top of the list is probably an industry first – 13 hours of battery time for the device.